Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    BEIRUT, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Over five thousand Hezbollah supporters gathered in the southern suburbs of Beirut to attend the funeral service of eight Hezbollah fighters killed in 2006 July war, and whose bodies were returned from Israel Wednesday, Local Daily Star reported Saturday.

    The memorial service was attended by grieving mothers and relatives, as well as Hezbollah officials and supporters.

    "They will be buried in this blessed land after their return from the blessed land of Palestine," said the head of Hezbollah executive council Hashim Safieddine in a speech at the occasion.

    Relatives kissed and touched the coffins before they were carried through the streets of the southern suburbs by Hezbollah fighters, and were handed over to their families for burials in their native villages in south Lebanon.

    Banners hanging on the streets said "Israel has fallen," others read "A victory from God."

    The eight fighters were killed in fierce battled with the Israeli army in south Lebanon during the month of July in 2006, when Israel launched a devastating war, following Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers on July 12 of last year.

    The bodies of the eight fighters were handed over to Hezbollah as a part of the swap with Israel that included the return of five living prisoners and another 199 bodies of Palestinian and Arab fighters.

    Hezbollah in retune turned over the bodies the two captured Israeli soldiers who were killed during the capture operation as media reported.